Weeks after resigning as CEO of food delivery company Zomato and its parent Eternal, Indian entrepreneur Deepinder Goyal has returned with a $54 million investment for wearable startup Temple, part of what the 43-year-old previously referred to as a move towards “higher-risk exploration and experimentation.”
On Friday, Goyal shared in a post on X that Temple had secured funding in a friends-and-family round from founder acquaintances and early Zomato investors, at a post-money valuation of roughly $190 million. He mentioned that over 30 employees participated at the same valuation.
According to regulatory documents reviewed by TechCrunch, Goyal is spearheading the funding round, with Steadview Capital following suit. Additional investors include Peak XV Partners, Info Edge Ventures, and Dharana Capital, along with angel investors like Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm, Kunal Shah of CRED, and Nithin and Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha, as well as current and former executives from Eternal such as Akshant Goyal, Aditya Mangla, Kunal Swarup, Akriti Chopra, and Rahul Ganjoo.
Goyal stepped down as chief executive of Zomato and its parent, Eternal, in January, passing the role to Albinder Dhindsa, who oversees the quick-commerce unit Blinkit. This change represented a significant transition for Goyal after nearly 20 years at the forefront of the food delivery company he co-founded in 2008.
Temple represents one of the clearest manifestations of that transition. The startup is dedicated to creating a high-performance wearable for elite athletes, an area Goyal has identified as primed for further technological advancement.
In a January discussion with podcaster Raj Shamani, Goyal described Temple’s wearable as a sensor intended to be worn on the user’s temple, continuously monitoring cerebral blood flow.
In a different post on X earlier Friday, he stated that Temple seeks to develop what he referred to as “the ultimate wearable for elite performance athletes,” asserting that the device would measure metrics that existing wearables are unable to capture. He also highlighted an extensive hiring initiative encompassing embedded systems, computational neuroscience, and brain–computer interface engineering.
The startup is entering a market for wearables that is increasingly crowded and well-funded, where firms such as Whoop, Oura, and Garmin have spent years honing devices that monitor sleep, recovery, and athletic performance. Whether Temple can significantly distinguish its technology remains uncertain.
The investment in Temple reflects a broader shift in Goyal’s focus. In October 2025, he mentioned committing $25 million of his own funds to another new business, Continue Research, which is investigating methods to extend human longevity. He is also a co-founder of aviation startup LAT Aerospace, which recently ventured into defense technology with the acquisition of the early-stage firm Sharang Shakti.
Goyal established his reputation at Zomato, which he co-founded with Pankaj Chaddah and dedicated nearly 20 years to transforming into one of India’s foremost food delivery services before stepping down as chief executive earlier this year.
Chaddah departed the company in 2018, as Zomato continued to solidify its standing through acquisitions, including the purchase of Uber Eats’ India operations in 2020 and grocery delivery service Blinkit — then known as Grofers — for $568 million in 2022.
Before Temple, Goyal had also supported health and fitness startups, including Ultrahuman, an India-based wearable manufacturer that competes with Oura’s smart ring, highlighting his growing emphasis on performance and health technology.
Goyal refrained from providing additional comments on Temple.